


Goodbye

by Doom_Cookie



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 03:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5275550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doom_Cookie/pseuds/Doom_Cookie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She's getting everything she's ever wanted. He's decided on his place in the world. They should be at peace. So why are they out in the Godswood the night before they depart, unable to sleep?</p>
<p>The 'goodbye' we didn't see between Jon and Sansa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so my phone, which I did all of my fic on broke and I'm not sure when I'll be getting it back. So, to get used to writing on my iPad, I wrote this. Technically, this could take place in the "nightmares" universe since they're both pre-canon, but they can be read separate. I hope you all enjoy this.

It's the excitement, she tells herself. Tomorrow morning she will depart for Kings Landing with her golden prince, and one day she'll be his Queen. They'll have beautiful golden children and songs will be sung about their great love, she's sure of it. She's getting all she ever wanted, she should be sleeping like a babe. But she can't sleep at all.

So here she is now, clad in nightrail, boots, and cloak, seeking the comfort of the Old Gods. She slips into the Godswood silently, Lady at her side. She'll sit for a few moments under the Heartrees branches, she thinks, breathe in the northern air and hot pool steam, maybe taste the bitter red sap the way she used to when she was young. When she finally reaches the great Wierwood tree, she finds its roots are already occupied.

For a moment she thinks it must be the ghost of a Stark past, but she blinks again and it's Jon. He's staring up into the eyes of the Wierwood, his face solemn as he absentmindedly scratches Ghost behind the ears. She doesn't want to intrude and makes to leave, but suddenly Lady bounds out into the clearing and begins playing with Ghost, jumping and nipping at him. No point in going back, now, she thinks, and steps out into the clearing.

"Sansa," Jon says, a small amount of surprise on his face.

"Jon," Sansa replies, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"You didn't," he responds quickly. "Were you coming to pray? I could go-" he says as he begins to stand, but Sansa interrupts him.

"No, sit, please. You were here first, I should be the one to go." She offers. It's the courteous thing to do, and she is nothing of not courteous.

"Nonsense, my Lady, come sit with me." He says, gesturing to the place beside him on the bench-like root.

She's not sure why she accepts. It's late, she has a long journey starting tomorrow, and she should be abed, not out here in the Godswood. Accept she does, though, and goes to sit beside her half-brother. It's a bit tense, Sansa doesn't think she's been this close to Jon since she was a child, but it's also a bit comforting, having his warmth so close. They sit and watch as Ghost and Lady play. Usually Sansa wouldn't allow Lady to behave thus, but this might be the last time Lady will see Ghost, the last time she ever gets to act like a puppy. She watches them roll, and bite, and paw at each other until they both hear something out in the forest and their ears perk up before running out of the clearing to find it.

"They'll come back soon, don't worry." Jon says softly, breaking the silence.

"I know." She replies. She is still grateful for his assurance, though. For some reason she feels that he's not only speaking of the wolves.

"So," Jon speaks again after a few more moments of quiet, "if you did not come to pray, what did you come for?" He asks her.

"I could ask you the same." Sansa says as answer. She is a bit shocked at her un-ladylike response, but she's reassured by telling herself that this in Jon. She doesn't have to be proper with him. They're family, and it's not like he cares for what's proper anyway.

Jon just lets out a short laugh and smiles. "Alright then, I'm out here because I can't sleep. Which is ridiculous, I've known what I've wanted for years, the Wall. I shouldn't be second guessing myself now, it's a bit too late for that." 

"Why the no sleep, then?" Sansa asks. She's genuinely curious, Jon has always wanted to go to the Wall, being nervous about it now seems strange.

"It's just," he sighs. "What if I'm no good at it? Being a Watchman I mean."

"What? Jon, of course you're going to be good at it!" She bursts out to him. He looks a bit taken aback at her loudness, and she feels herself blush at the outburst.

"How do you figure that?" He inquires, looking truly confused as to why she would think so.

"Because it's true," she says. "Jon, you are a great swordsman, you are kind, you are brave, you are strong. You are everything a man of the Watch is supposed to be, and to top it off, you want to serve. Of course you are going to be good at it." She explains to him.

"Besides," she says, "there is no one I could trust more to protect us from the Grumpkins." 

He smirks a bit at that. "And the Snarks?" He asks.

"Yes, and Wights."

"And Walkers."

"And Giants."

"And Ice Spiders."

They devolve into laughter, giggling and smiling at each other. Sansa tries to remember the last time she laughed with Jon, because surely they had before, they were close once. It must have been during that time, before Sansa knew what being a Lady meant.

She remembers being four years old, playing all sorts of games under these very branches with Robb and Jon. Monsters and maidens, come into my castle, and hide the treasure, these were their favorites. They would play them for hours while Father sat right where they are now, bouncing a one year old Arya on his knee.

A sad smile comes to her face at the memory, and when she sees the bittersweet look in Jon's eyes, she knows he is remembering that time, too.

"Now you. What are you out here for, if not to pray?” Jon asks.

Sansa sighed. “I don't know,really. I just. . .thought it might be a good place to come and clear my head. I can't sleep, either.” She tells him.

“And why is that?” He prompts. He looks like he actually cares, and it wasn't like there was anyone else she could truly speak to about this. Arya and Jeyne wouldn't understand, Robb might but he had his own problems to worry about, Mother was unresponsive, and it wasn't as if she could go to Father with her concerns. He would be so disappointed. 

“Well, you know that I'm betrothed to Joffrey?” She asks.

“It is all you've talked about lately.” He jokes. She gives him a mock glare for that, but it only makes him smirk.

"And he is going to be King one day?” She continues.

“Yes.”

“Then that means I'm going to be Queen.”

“Right. So, what's the matter?” He asks, confused at her obvious questioning.

"Jon, what if I'm no good at being a Queen? I was raised to be a Lady and run my husbands household, not help run a kingdom.” She explains. “I want to be a good Queen, I just wish I knew if I could be a good Queen.” Says defeatedly.

“Well that's absolutely ridiculous.” He responds.

“What?!” She asks incredulously. She reveals her deepest insecurity to him, and then he calls her ridiculous? How dare he! Just as she goes to tell him so, he speaks again.  
“Sansa, I know you're going to make a great Queen.” He intones, looking her right in the eye so she could see the truth of his words.

“Oh,” she says, “well, how do you figure that, then?” Repeating his words from earlier.

“Do you remember when Father took you, Robb, and I to go visit the Manderly’s?” He asks.

“Yes.” She replies hesitantly.

"We were all riding through the town, and Father had given us some sweet bread to eat. Well, there was these little children on the side of the road, just watching us. They looked so dirty, and hungry, and small, and you made the whole party stop so you could give them your bread, so Robb and I did the same.”

“I remember, but what does this have to do with me being Queen?” She asks.

“Sansa, that was such a kind thing you did. It may have seemed small to you, but to those children I'm sure it was the world.” He tells her. “You're so caring, Sansa. You inspire others to be caring. You want to help people, and you do. You are so gracious, and courteous,and kind. You are everything a Queen should be. That's how I know you'll be a great one.”

Sansa feels her eyes start to warm and water at his words. They were just so beautiful, no one had ever said anything like that to her.

“Gods, Sansa! Please don't cry, I didn't mean to make you sad!” He says in alarm.

She throws her arms around his neck and holds tight. “I'm not sad,” she says. “I'm incredibly happy. Thank you, Jon.”

He wraps his own arms around her waist and squeezes her back. “You're welcome. And thank you.” He says into her hair.

“For what?”

“For believing that I could make a good Watchman.”

“Of course you will.”

She pulls back and looks him in the eyes as she smiles. “I'm going to miss this place.” She says.

“Me too.” He agrees. “Do you remember when we used to dare each other to eat the Wierwood sap?” He asks.

“Yes,” she laughes. “It was disgusting at first, but it sort of grew on me.”

“It is an acquired taste. I dare you to eat some, though.” He challenges.

“Only if you eat some, too.” She replies.

“Deal.”

They walk to the face of the heart tree and stick their fingers in the sap leaking from the eyes. They look at each other as they eat it, and laugh when they both made strange faces.

"It's so bitter!” Jon exclaims.

“I know.” Sansa laughes. “It's getting late, we should get back to bed.” She tells him.

“I'll walk you to your chambers.” He says as he stands and offers her his arm.

They walk back to the Keep in companionable silence, and when they come to her door they stop.

Sansa looks down at her feet. "Jon?" She asks quietly.

“Yes?” He answers.

“I'm going to miss you.” She tells him.

He grabs her chin and lifts her face until their eyes meet. “I'm going to miss you,too.” He says to her. She goes to embrace him again and kisses him softly on the cheek.

“Goodnight, Jon Snow, and goodbye.”

“Goodnight, Sansa Stark, and goodbye.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know if you liked it! As always, please inform me of any mistakes that trip up your reading and I'll fix it as soon as possible.
> 
> I have a tumblr now where I'll be posting my fic stuff, snippets of stuff I'm working on and such. So, if you're interested in that my user name on there is Doom-Cookie1.


End file.
